Column: Becoming part of The Fray

Thursday

Jun 21, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 21, 2007 at 9:14 PM

Some bands have the ability to milk an album for all its worth. They release singles few and far between and let radio stations play them for months before giving them something new. One of these bands is The Fray with their first major label release, “How To Save a Life.”

By Nancy Hall

Some bands have the ability to milk an album for all its worth. They release singles few and far between and let radio stations play them for months before giving them something new. One of these bands is The Fray with their first major label release, “How To Save a Life.”

On tour with OK Go and playing the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., this Saturday night, The Fray formed in 2002 in Denver. By 2005, they released their debut album, and one year later, that album was the most downloaded on iTunes. Now almost two years later, the guys are still on the road promoting their first disc.

It all started when vocalist/pianist Isaac Slade met vocalist/guitarist Joe King at a local Guitar Center. The two began jam session — which quickly turned into writing sessions, and soon they added a drummer and a bass player to round out the band’s U2-meets-Coldplay sound.

Despite the mellow tunes they produced, things behind the scenes were much more intense. Slade’s brother, Caleb, was the group’s bass player when they first formed, but was asked to leave because of his poor bass-playing skills. His dismissal from the group caused a major rift in the brothers’ relationship and was the inspiration for their first single, “Over My Head (Cable Car).” Though he was a short-lived member, Caleb was also responsible for the band’s name. It was at his graduation party the guys asked fans to name them. Someone in attendance came up with The Fray, and the name stuck.

The current lineup for the band has stuck as well. Along with Slade and King are lead guitarist Dave Welsh and drummer Ben Wysocki. The guys have been headlining their own shows in support of “How To Save A Life” since January 2006. The tour will stop this Saturday night at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., but when it actually stops for good is still up in the air.

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